The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will begin renovation work on ponds under the General Administration department in the first phase to speed up development work of the water bodies in the City.

This decision was taken by the BMC officials here on Monday.

“One of the problems faced by us is getting work permit for the projects which come under other departments. If a lake is under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), delay in getting work permit  further delays the work,” a senior BMC official said.

Renovation work of water bodies under General Administration department has been given priority as getting work permit from this department has been hassle-free.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation  has identified eight water bodies  in places such as Kapileswar, Laxmisagar and Sunderpada for renovation.

The Project Management Unit (PMU) of  Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) has been given the responsibility to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) of the water bodies identified for renovation.

The executive engineers of divisions I and II have been asked to identify more water bodies under the GA department for renovation.

The budget for renovation work will be sanctioned after the DPR gets ready.